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Welcome to Toulon -

Toulon is a French port city on the Mediterranean coast. It's not the most dazzling of destinations on the Côte d’Azur, but what Toulon lacks in glitter it makes up for with a fascinating maritime history.

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Early history -

The Romans called their Toulon Telo Martius, a town that served as an important dye manufacturing center. As trade increased, the harbor became a shelter for merchant vessels from across the empire.

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Military port -

By the 5th century after it had become Christianized, the town was known as Toulon. Its expansion into a military port was rapid. In 1524, a new fort, the Tour Royale, was completed to strengthen Toulon's defensive capability. The fort is seen here bottom right in this 1543 illustration showing Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa's fleet wintering in the harbor.

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Safe haven -

Blessed with one of the largest natural harbors on the Mediterranean coast, Toulon was the obvious choice for locating France's naval fleet.

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Fortifying the town -

In 1660, King Louis XIV, determined to turn France into a major sea power, ordered the Marquis of Vauban, one of the greatest military engineers of his time, to build a new arsenal and to fortify the town. It proved a shrewd move.

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Siege of Toulon (1707) -

Less than 50 years later, in 1707 during the War of the Spanish Succession, Toulon successfully repelled a siege by forces loyal to the House of Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire.

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Battle of Toulon (1744) -

The 1700s were a period of conflict and upheaval in the history of Toulon. In 1744, the Battle of Toulon saw a neutral France sends ships to support a Spanish fleet attempting to break through a two-year-old British naval blockade of the port. The engagement resulted in a Franco-Spanish victory, with France declaring war on Britain shortly after the battle.

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Bagne of Toulon -

In 1748, the notorious penal facility known as the Bagne of Toulon started to house convicts. Sanitary and health facilities were deplorable, the number of deaths among inmates eventually prompting the authorities to build a hospital. Toulon's bagne was made famous as the place of imprisonment of the fictional Jean Valjean, the hero of Victor Hugo's novel 'Les Misérables.' The prison closed in 1873.

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Siege of Toulon (1793) -

Conflict again visited Toulon in 1793 when the city fell under siege during the Federalist revolts and the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars.

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Napoleon wins his spurs -

The military engagement is notable for the involvement of a young artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte, who first won fame and promotion by forcing the withdrawal of the Anglo-Spanish fleet that was occupying the city of Toulon and its forts.

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Defeat of the French fleet -

The siege marked the first involvement of the British Royal Navy with the French Revolution, who'd sided with Royalist rebels. The British destroyed the French fleet at sea before rescuing 14,877 Toulonnais fleeing from the city from advancing Republican soldiers.

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Punished for disloyalty -

Toulon was punished for its rebellion, its status as a department capital revoked and the town briefly renamed Port-la-Montagne. There was little time for peace, though. During the Napoleonic Wars, a British fleet led by Admiral Horatio Nelson blockaded Toulon from 1803 until 1805. Any vessel attempting to escape port was intercepted and fired upon.

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Toulon expands -

Throughout most of the 1800s, Toulon enjoyed a relative peace. The town expanded and with it the population. By 1846, it stood at 62,941 souls.

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Toulon linked by rail -

In 1859, Toulon railway station opened, providing a much-needed rail link with the town and the rest of the region and beyond.

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Civilized era -

Three years later, in 1862, the town's opera house was inaugurated. By 1886, a tram service was servicing the community. And in 1888, the Musée d'Art de Toulon welcomed its first visitors. Toulon was on a roll. But it wasn't to last.

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Scuttling of the French fleet -

An incident during the Second World War placed Toulon at the very center of the European theater when France's Vichy government scuttled the French fleet on November 27, 1942, to prevent German forces from seizing it.

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The German army advances -

The Allies had always been concerned that the fleet, which included some of the most advanced warships of the time, might fall into German hands.

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A desperate measure -

When this seemed inevitable after the Germans had invaded territory administered by Vichy France under the Armistice of 1940, effectively contravening that agreement, Admiral Gabriel Auphan ordered the destruction of the fleet.

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Operation Dragoon (1944) -

Two years later on August 15, Operation Dragoon commenced—the Allied invasion of Provence. The invasion sought to secure the vital ports on the French Mediterranean coast, including Toulon.

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Battle of Toulon (1944) -

The subsequent Battle of Toulon on August 20–26 saw the surrender of German troops (pictured) and the liberation of the town by Free French forces under the command of General Edgard de Larminat.

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Toulon today -

Visiting Toulon today is to embrace its extraordinary maritime heritage and seafaring culture. It's also about commemorating its role in wartime.

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Mont Faron -

For an overall perspective of Toulon, head up to the summit of Mont Faron by cable car. At 1,916 ft (584 m), this mountain provides a great visual introduction to the city.

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Commemorating the past -

At the summit of Mont Faron you'll come across the Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence, which commemorates the Allied landings of Operation Dragoon and the liberation of Toulon.

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Toulon Opera -

The Old Town of Toulon is a joy to discover. Dominating the historic center is the Toulon Opera. This is the second-largest opera house in France, after the Palais Garnier in Paris, its architecture representative of the exuberant style of the Second Empire.

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Toulon's famous water features -

While wandering the Old Town, look out for the fountains that Toulon is famous for. Of special interest is the Fontaine du Dauphin (pictured) on the wall of the Bishop's residence. This charming water feature appears in the drawings of Toulon made for Louis XIV in 1668.

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Tour Royale -

The Tour Royale appears as imposing now as it must have in the 16th century. The casemates, circular galleries, and embrasures for the cannon still remain as they were when the fort was inaugurated in 1524.

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Museum of the French Navy -

Besides the art museum, Toulon's other must-see cultural attraction is the Museum of the French Navy. Founded in 1814, it admirably showcases the navy's heritage. The museum also symbolizes the memory of the Toulon Arsenal, from which it has preserved the majestic gate designed by Lange in 1738.

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Flagship of the French Navy -

Among the museum's highlights are a series of scale models of 18th-century warships and a singular piece, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Mind you, you're very likely to see the real thing, given that the flagship of the French Navy and her battle group is based in Toulon.

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Shopping at the Provençal markets -

Other places of interest in the Old Town include Toulon's Provençal markets. These traditional markets are regional emblems of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and sell all sorts of local specialties, anything from oils of lavender and cut and dried flowers to candied fruits, nougat, truffles, and honey.

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Relaxing in Place de la Liberté -

End your Toulon sightseeing sojourn by chilling out in the elegant Place de la Liberté, the centerpiece of which is the dramatic Fountain of the Federation.

Sources: (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Tourism Board) (Liberation Route Europe) (Britannica) 

See also: The most scenic towns and villages in France

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